Chapter Summaries

Chen Caozhi and Ding Youwei discussed his plans to enter the gentry and study under Xu Zao, but their conversation was interrupted by news that Ding Youwei’s uncle was arranging her remarriage. Ding Youwei refused to marry again and feared retaliation against the Chen Clan, leaving Chen Caozhi to consider a solution.

• Ding Youwei advised Chen Caozhi to build his reputation, document the Chen family’s history, and seek instruction from Xu Zao in Wu Commandery.
• Chen Caozhi said he would study in Wu Commandery after arranging matters at home and promised to bring Ding Youwei back to Chen Family Cove two years later.
• A Xiu informed Ding Youwei that her uncle was arranging her marriage to a widower from the Qiantang Chu Clan.
• Ding Youwei told Chen Caozhi she would not remarry because she loved Chen Qingzhi and wanted to remain with Zongzhi and Run'er.
• Ding Youwei worried that her refusal would bring the Ding Clan’s anger upon the Qiantang Chen Clan, while Chen Caozhi quietly considered what to do.

Ding Youwei challenged the proposed marriage to Chu Wenqian by asking that Chen Caozhi compete with him in calligraphy. Ding Yi accepted the challenge, convinced Chu would win, and summoned Caozhi to the hall.

• Madam Wu brought gifts to Chen Caozhi’s household and urged Ding Youwei to marry the forty-four-year-old Chu Wenqian.
• Ding Youwei said she would consider remarrying only if her late husband’s talent was matched, then followed Madam Wu to meet clan head Ding Yi.
• Ding Youwei asked Ding Yi to let Chen Caozhi compete with Chu Wenqian in calligraphy, and threatened to die rather than marry if he refused.
• Ding Yi agreed to the contest and warned Ding Youwei that she would be excluded from the Ding Clan if she later refused the marriage.
• Ding Yi told Chu Wenqian and Attendant Quan about the challenge, and both agreed to see Caozhi compete.
• Ding Yi ordered the steward to summon Chen Caozhi to the hall.

Chen Caozhi reassured Zongzhi and Run'er that he would bring their mother back, then faced Ding Yi and his guests in a calligraphy contest. He stunned them by writing in two styles at once, leaving Chu Wenqian’s skills looking inferior.

• Chen Caozhi reassured Zongzhi and Run'er and told them to continue studying while he went to the main hall.
• Ding Yi introduced Chu Wenqian as an accomplished calligrapher and arranged for him and Chen Caozhi to write before Quan Li.
• Chu Wenqian wrote part of “The Ospreys Cry” in Han clerical script, and Quan Li praised it as worthy of a grade.
• Chen Caozhi borrowed Chu Wenqian’s brush and wrote with both hands, using Zhong Yao’s regular script in his left hand and an unfamiliar running regular script in his right.
• Quan Li, Ding Yi, and Chu Wenqian admired Chen Caozhi’s calligraphy, and Quan Li judged his work superior to Chu Wenqian’s.

Chen Caozhi’s poem and calligraphy impressed Quan Li, causing Chu Wenqian to abandon his marriage proposal to Ding Youwei. Quan Li also delivered Huan Yi’s instructions for caring for the Keting Flute and requested the scores of Chen Caozhi’s music, while Ding Yi decided to stop pressuring Youwei to remarry.

• Quan Li praised Chen Caozhi’s poem “Stopping Clouds” and took his calligraphy, while his teasing remark about Ding Youwei’s marriage embarrassed Chu Wenqian.
• Chu Wenqian left without mentioning his proposal again, and Ding Youwei summoned Chen Caozhi from behind the screen.
• Quan Li returned with a scroll of secret methods for caring for the Keting Flute, explaining that Huan Yi had given him the flute’s instructions to pass along.
• Chen Caozhi offered to return the flute to Huan Yi, but Quan Li refused and asked him to write down the two musical scores he had played.
• Ding Yi told Wu that Youwei did not wish to marry and decided to stop arranging suitors, though he would not let her return to the Chen household.

After Chen Caozhi helped Ding Youwei return from the main hall, they spent the afternoon together studying music and notation. The chapter ended with Xiao Chan suggesting that Chen Caozhi ask Attendant Quan to help Ding Youwei return to Chen Family Cove, leaving the family waiting for his answer.

• Chen Caozhi reassured Ding Youwei and the children after returning, and promised to study with Zongzhi and Run'er.
• Chen Caozhi examined Huan Yi's scroll of dongxiao instructions and learned that it also contained Huan Yi's calligraphy.
• Ding Youwei wrote down the scores for “Remembering an Old Friend” and “Red Bean Song” while Chen Caozhi played the pieces.
• Ding Youwei taught Chen Caozhi Yan Music Half-Character Notation, and he gained a basic command of wind-instrument notation in two hours.
• Xiao Chan suggested that Chen Caozhi ask Attendant Quan to help Ding Youwei return to Chen Family Cove, and Zongzhi and Run'er anxiously awaited his reply.

Chen Caozhi explained why he could not ask Palace Attendant Quan to help Ding Youwei return to Chen Family Cove, while Ding Youwei secured permission to send two maids and arrange future visits. That night, she urged Chen Caozhi to attend the Riverside Gathering in the ninth month, where he might make a name for himself.

• Chen Caozhi told Ding Youwei that Palace Attendant Quan’s courtesy did not mean he could ask him for help without risking humiliation.
• Ding Youwei took Chen Caozhi’s copied musical score to Ding Yi, while Chen Caozhi exercised with Zongzhi and Run’er and heard Lai Fu and Lai De report on recruiting tenant farmers.
• Ding Youwei told the household that Ding Yi had agreed to let Xiao Chan and Qingzhi go to Chen Family Cove and to allow Chen Caozhi, Zongzhi, and Run’er to visit her in the ninth month and twice a year afterward.
• That night, Ding Youwei found Chen Caozhi copying Liu Shao’s The Characters and noticed that his writing had left his fingers sore.
• Ding Youwei urged Chen Caozhi to attend the Riverside Gathering in the ninth month, explaining that Palace Attendant Quan might oversee the Nine-Rank System assessments in Wu Commandery; Chen Caozhi agreed.

Chen Caozhi visited Feng Mengxiong to seek help protecting Lai Fu’s family during the coming household register inspection. He learned that Lu Clerk was secretly making his clan impersonate the gentry, while Feng promised to arrange for Lai Fu’s family to remain at Chen Family Cove as tenant farmers.

• Chen Caozhi traveled to Qiantang County with Lai Fu and Lai De, intending to ask Feng Mengxiong about the household register inspection and Lai Fu’s protected status.
• Feng Mengxiong welcomed Chen Caozhi and introduced him to Feng Lingbo, whose family appeared to be considering a marriage between them.
• Chen Caozhi questioned Feng Mengxiong about the inspection and learned that Lu Clerk was secretly falsifying his clan’s status to make them gentry.
• Feng Mengxiong warned Chen Caozhi not to use the forgery as leverage against Lu Clerk, since the Chen Clan could lose its foothold in Qiantang.
• Feng Mengxiong offered to register Lai Fu’s family as tenant farmers in the county so they could continue farming at Chen Family Cove, though they would owe taxes and service.

Chen Caozhi hired tenant farmers, noticed a disabled old man and a large boy he might employ, and helped Lai De obtain a Go set by solving a life-and-death problem. He left the scholars’ board and stones behind, citing his mother’s prohibition on gambling.

• Chen Caozhi said farewell to Sun Shi, who sent gifts and asked him to visit again.
• Chen Caozhi hired two tenant households at a reduced rent and told Lai Fu to check later whether anyone had hired the one-armed old man and the boy.
• Lai De found two scholars playing Go and learned they would give him their set if he solved their problem.
• Chen Caozhi identified the nineteen-line board, correctly called the game’s score, and solved the Big Pig's Snout problem.
• The scholars offered Chen Caozhi their Go board and stones, but he refused them and returned to the ox cart.

Chen Caozhi returned to Chen Family Cove with his nephew and niece, bringing books and a growing reputation after defeating Chu Wenqian in calligraphy. Before the Dragon Boat Festival, he went to Ge Ridge to seek Ge Hong, but learned that the Daoist was away gathering herbs and left a poem before returning home.

• Ding Youwei tearfully bade farewell to Zongzhi, Run'er, Chen Caozhi, and the two maids as they departed for Chen Family Cove, and Chen Caozhi taught the children a poem about parting on the way.
• Lady Li welcomed the children and maids home, while news of Chen Caozhi’s calligraphy victory spread through Qiantang and Chu Wenqian began plotting against the Chen Clan after his uncle reprimanded him.
• Chen Caozhi resumed his studies and daily exercise, then climbed Nine Luminaries Mountain with Lai De to try painting the lakeside scenery before deciding to visit Precious Stone Mountain.
• Chen Caozhi and Lai De reached a Daoist retreat on Ge Ridge, where a boy told them that his master, Baopuzi—Ge Hong—had gone to gather medicinal herbs.
• After waiting nearly four hours without Ge Hong’s return, Chen Caozhi left a twenty-character poem with the Daoist boy and headed home.

On Duanwu, Chen Caozhi observed festival customs with his family before Ge Hong invited him to Chuyang Terrace and tested his understanding of Daoist teachings. Their lively discussion established a friendship, and Ge Hong welcomed Chen Caozhi to return and borrow books.

• Xiao Chan and Qingzhi bathed Chen Caozhi in orchid water, and Lady Li tied a five-colored Long-Life Thread around his arm.
• Two days later, Ge Hong sent an attendant to invite Chen Caozhi to his retreat on Ge Ridge.
• Chen Caozhi answered Ge Hong’s challenge about fate and immortality, then persuaded him to discuss a second question inside.
• Chen Caozhi asked to borrow Ge Hong’s books, and Ge Hong agreed to lend them one scroll at a time.
• Chen Caozhi and Ge Hong debated Daoist teachings until dusk, when Chen Caozhi left to return to his waiting mother.

Lai Fu returned to Chen Family Cove with Jing Nu and Ran Sheng, then met Chen Caozhi on the road back from Precious Stone Mountain. Chen Caozhi reassured Lai Fu about the threat to his family’s registration, but Chen Liu raised a new threat over the Chen Clan’s land assessment.

• Lai Fu brought Jing Nu and Ran Sheng to Chen Family Cove, where Lady Li agreed to let them stay.
• Lai Fu set out with the two newcomers to find Chen Caozhi and met him returning from Precious Stone Mountain.
• Lai Fu told Chen Caozhi that Lu Clerk was blocking household registration and wanted unregistered Protected Households resettled in Qiao Province.
• Chen Caozhi promised to protect Lai Fu’s family and said he would make the Qiantang Lu Clan pay for meddling with the Qiantang Chen Clan.
• Lady Li welcomed Chen Caozhi home, and Chen Liu warned that county officials would soon reassess the Chen Clan’s farmland grades.

Chen Caozhi learned that Lu Clerk would oversee a land assessment and suspected Chen Liu was using the threat to extort the West Tower family. After seeing Ran Sheng display extraordinary speed and strength, Chen Caozhi confronted Chen Liu and invited him to the ancestral hall.

• Lady Li warned Chen Caozhi that Chen Liu might be scheming to take the West Tower family's land, and Chen Caozhi said he would speak with Fourth Uncle.
• Chen Caozhi climbed Nine Luminaries Mountain with Lai De and Ran Sheng, who outran them both.
• Ran Sheng lifted a massive rock to his chest, astonishing Chen Caozhi and Lai De.
• Chen Caozhi asked Chen Liu who would oversee the land assessment, and Chen Liu named Lu Clerk.
• Chen Liu demanded a deed transferring ten qing of land in exchange for interceding, but Chen Caozhi calmly walked away and told him to wait for an invitation to the ancestral hall.

Chen Caozhi exposed Chen Liu’s attempt to seize West Tower property and asked the clan to judge him. Chen Xian expelled Chen Liu from the Qiantang Chen Clan, leaving him to return to town angry and frightened without his clan’s protection.

• Chen Caozhi asked Chen Xian to gather the clan elders and adult men in the ancestral hall to discuss the clan’s future.
• Chen Caozhi told the story of Xu Wu, then accused Chen Liu of demanding ten qing of West Tower land to bribe Lu Clerk.
• Chen Liu admitted Lu Clerk wanted to fleece the West Tower, but could not explain why he had demanded the land.
• Chen Man ordered Chen Liu to apologize, but Chen Liu defied him and threatened Chen Caozhi.
• Chen Xian expelled Chen Liu from the Qiantang Chen Clan and reclaimed the property allotted to him.
• Chen Liu left Chen Family Cove for Qiantang County town, seething with resentment and fearful of being without clan support.

After Chen Liu was expelled from the Chen Clan, Chen Caozhi learned that his mother’s worry over Lai Fu’s family had made her seriously ill. He hurried through the night to seek Ge Hong’s help and returned with the physician.

• Chen Xian defended Chen Caozhi, secured the clan’s approval to expel Chen Liu, and warned that Lu Clerk might threaten the Chen Clan and Lai Fu’s Protected Household status.
• Chen Caozhi told Chen Xian that Lu Clerk might be colluding with Chu Wenqian and had fraudulently registered as a member of the gentry.
• Lady Li worried that Lai Fu’s family might have to leave Chen Family Cove, and she fell seriously ill the following night.
• After Lai De reminded him that Ge Hong was a physician, Chen Caozhi set out with Lai De and Ran Sheng to seek his help.
• Ge Hong opened the monastery gate, learned that Lady Li was ill, and immediately took his medicines to accompany Chen Caozhi back to Chen Family Fort.

Ge Hong treated Lady Li and drove away the government runners who threatened Chen Family Cove, easing the danger troubling Chen Caozhi’s mother. Magistrate Wang later visited Ge Hong, who revealed that he had invited him to meet Chen Caozhi and was mentoring the young scholar.

• Ge Hong diagnosed Lady Li’s illness as stemming from worry and prescribed a remedy, telling Chen Caozhi to ease her heart.
• Two government runners tried to inspect Chen Family Cove and seize Jing Nu, but Ran Sheng knocked them down and Ge Hong ordered a deaf, burly man to slap them.
• The runners complained to Lu Clerk, who decided to wait until the seventh-month inspection to target Lai Fu, while Magistrate Wang eagerly accepted Ge Hong’s invitation.
• After more than ten days of rain, Magistrate Wang visited Ge Hong at the Chuyang Terrace Daoist temple and learned that the youth studying with him was Chen Caozhi.
• Ge Hong explained that he was lending Chen Caozhi the volumes of Baopuzi and testing his understanding, and he praised Chen Caozhi’s filial devotion and talent.

Chen Caozhi studied Confucianism and Xuanxue under Ge Hong while building a library and improving his calligraphy, but he remained determined to seek worldly standing to protect his family. He formally became Ge Hong’s disciple and agreed to teach Ran Sheng to read as the household faced another registration inspection.

• Wang Deyi allowed the Qiantang Chen Clan to keep one protected household while he remained magistrate, easing Lai Fu and his family’s fears.
• Chen Caozhi followed a daily routine of studying classics, practicing calligraphy, copying books, and visiting Ge Hong to discuss difficult passages.
• Ge Hong advised Chen Caozhi to abandon worldly office and pursue the Dao and lasting writings, but Chen Caozhi remained intent on changing his fate and protecting his family.
• Chen Caozhi formally became Ge Hong’s disciple five days later, without agreeing to retreat into the mountains to cultivate the Dao.
• Jing Nu begged Chen Caozhi to teach Ran Sheng to read, and Ran Sheng reluctantly agreed despite worrying that the coming household registration inspection would force them to flee again.

During the household-register inspection, Chen Caozhi sheltered Jing Nu and Ran Sheng at Chuyangtai Taoist Monastery, and the Chen family passed inspection without trouble. Meanwhile, Clerk Lu and Chen Liu plotted to ruin Chen Caozhi’s reputation at the ninth-month literary gathering, while Chen Caozhi celebrated Qixi with his family by telling the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story.

• Chen Caozhi arranged for Jing Nu and Ran Sheng to stay at Chuyangtai Taoist Monastery, where Ge Hong gave them lodging and discussed the golden elixir with Chen Caozhi.
• County runners inspected the Chen household registers, accepted Lai Fu’s family as a protected household, and left without causing trouble.
• Chu Wenqian visited Clerk Lu and expressed interest in humiliating Chen Caozhi after his defeat in the calligraphy contest.
• Clerk Lu told Chen Liu that Chu Wenqian wanted to disgrace Chen Caozhi at the ninth-month literary gathering, and Chen Liu agreed to help.
• Chen Caozhi celebrated Qixi with his family and companions, told Zongzhi and Run'er the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story, and taught them a poem about the pair.

Chen Caozhi continued his studies through the summer and autumn, then traveled with his nephew and niece to Ding Youwei’s villa before an elegant mountain-climbing gathering. Ding Youwei praised his progress and explained how rectifiers selected men for rank, leaving Chen Caozhi preparing to seek recognition despite the system’s preference for gentry families.

• Chen Caozhi studied calligraphy and classics daily as summer gave way to autumn.
• Chen Caozhi and his family crossed the Qiantang River, where he played the Keting Flute and so absorbed the boatman that the boat drifted downstream.
• Chen Caozhi arrived at Ding Youwei’s villa, where Zongzhi and Run'er showed their mother how much they had learned during their four months apart.
• Ding Youwei congratulated Chen Caozhi on studying under Master Ge and agreed that he could remain at home rather than travel to study under Xu Zao.
• Chen Caozhi asked Ding Youwei how rectifiers selected talented men, and she explained the assessment process and encouraged him to seek a rank.

On the Double Ninth Festival, Chen Caozhi set out for the Qiyun Mountain gathering, where the Qiantang Chen Clan would take part in scholarly debates. After a young woman chose his cart following an accident, he refused to help her, and she rode with the Ding brothers instead as their carts raced toward town.

• Chen Caozhi prepared for the festival and told Zongzhi and Run'er they would attend the gathering when they were older.
• Chen Caozhi traveled toward Qiyun Mountain with Lai Fu, Lai De, and Ran Sheng, while Ding Chunqiu passed them in another cart.
• The Ding brothers found an overturned cart and offered a ride to the young woman who gave her surname as Jiang.
• The young woman chose Chen Caozhi's cart, but he ordered the carts ahead to make way and drove off without her.
• Ding Chunqiu insulted Chen Caozhi, gave the young woman his cart, and recited verses to impress her.
• The young woman's cart sped after Chen Caozhi's, and the Ding brothers followed until their carts overtook his on the way to town.

Chen Caozhi climbed Qiyun Mountain for the county’s ninth-day gathering and passed Magistrate Wang’s checkpoint by answering a question from the Analects. After Chu Wenbin challenged his preferential treatment, a suspicious young woman caught up with Chen Caozhi, who led her back down the mountain.

• Chen Caozhi climbed Qiyun Mountain with Lai Fu and Ran Sheng while the gathered scholars scrutinized the unfamiliar young man.
• At Yicui Pavilion, Wang De first let Chen Caozhi pass without a question, but Chu Wenbin objected that a humble-born scholar should be tested.
• Wang De asked Chen Caozhi to explain “A gentleman is not a vessel,” and Chen Caozhi answered, “I am no match for an old farmer,” satisfying the magistrate.
• Chen Caozhi greeted Feng Lingbo and continued toward Guanlan Terrace, then recognized the finely dressed young woman whose oxcart had overturned earlier.
• Suspecting the young woman had an ulterior motive, Chen Caozhi said he had been looking for her and led her down the mountain.